Neuroprotection of TSG Against Mechanical Trauma Injury Through an Anti-inflammatory Mechanism in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells

In vitro neurotoxic potential of emerging flame retardants on neuroblastoma cells in an acute exposure scenario

Since 2004, some legacy flame retardants (FRs) were restricted or removed from the European markets due to their concern on human health. Both organophosphorus FRs (OPFRs) and novel brominated FRs (NBFRs) have replaced them because they are presumably safer and less persistent emerging FRs (EFRs) and their exposure is currently occurring in indoor environments at high levels. Little is known about the neurotoxic potential risk of these EFRs in humans. The present study was aimed at assessing the acute neurotoxicity potential of Tris(1, 3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), Bis(2-ethylhexyl)tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP) and 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB) on human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y). SH-SY5Y were exposed to these EFRs at low concentrations -ranging 2.5-20 μM. during 2-24 h. We investigated viability, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, as well as neural plasticity and development. The results have demonstrated that selected EFRs (TDCPP, TPhP, EH-TBB and BEH-TBP) did not impair neural function on SH-SY5Y as acute response. To the best of our knowledge, this has been the first study focused on evaluating the neural affection of TPhP on SH-SY5Y cells and of EH-TBB and BEH-TBP on neural cells. We also assessed for the first time almost all endpoints after FR exposure on neural cell lines.

Calreticulin Expression Controls Cellular Redox, Stemness, and Radiosensitivity to Function as a Novel Adjuvant for Radiotherapy in Neuroblastoma

Radiotherapy (RT) is currently only used in children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB) due to concerns of long-term side effects as well as lack of effective adjuvant. Calreticulin (CALR) has served distinct physiological roles in cancer malignancies; nonetheless, impact of radiation on chaperones and molecular roles they play remains largely unknown. In present study, we systemically analyzed correlation between CALR and NB cells of different malignancies to investigate potential role of CALR in mediating radioresistance of NB. Our data revealed that more malignant NB cells are correlated to lower CALR expression, greater radioresistance, and elevated stemness as indicated by colony- and neurospheroid-forming abilities and vice versa. Of note, manipulating CALR expression in NB cells of varying endogenous CALR expression manifested changes in not only stemness but also radioresistant properties of those NB cells. Further, CALR overexpression resulted in greatly enhanced ROS and led to increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, growth of NB tumors was significantly hampered by CALR overexpression and was synergistically ablated when RT was also administered. Collectively, our current study unraveled a new notion of utilizing CALR expression in malignant NB to diminish cancer stemness and mitigate radioresistance to achieve favorable therapeutic outcome for NB.

Withaferin A alleviates traumatic brain injury induced secondary brain injury via suppressing apoptosis in endothelia cells and modulating activation in the microglia

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern with high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently used medications, though effective, are also associated with several adverse effects. Development of effective neuroprotective agents with fewer side-effects would be of clinical value. Previous studies have shown that withaferin compounds have a potential neuroprotective effect in nervous system disorders. However, the effect of withaferin compounds, especially withaferin A (WFA), on traumatic brain injury is unclear. In the present study, both in vivo and in vitro models were used to assess whether WFA could exert a neuroprotective effect after TBI and were used to explore the associated mechanisms. The results showed that WFA significantly improved neurobehavioral function in a dose-dependent fashion and alleviated histological alteration of injury to tissues in TBI mice. In vitro models of TBI revealed that dose-dependent WFA treatment increased the viability of SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, WFA treatment could attenuate blood-brain barrier disruption and brain edema via suppressing apoptosis in endothelial cells. Furthermore, both our in vivo and in vitro results reveal that WFA treatment could significantly reduce levels of several neuroinflammation cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), which correlate with an overall reduction in microglial activation. These data suggest that the neuroprotection by WFA is, at least in part, related to regulation of microglial activation and inhibition of vascular endothelial cell apoptosis. Taken together, these findings support further investigation of WFA as a promising therapeutic agent for promoting functional recovery after traumatic brain injury.